For centuries, sandpaper and abrasive-impregnated emery cloth papers have been the tools of choice for removing small layers of material, such as dirt and contamination, and leveling irregularities from surfaces. Sandpaper can also make the surface smoother or rougher. The flexibility of a paper backing allows sandpaper to follow irregular or rounded contours of virtually any surface shape, with limitations. Numerous motor-driven devices have been developed to facilitate the handling of sandpaper, such as belt sanders, detail sanders, disc sanders, palm sanders, and orbit sanders.
Despite the development of these sanding devices, sandpaper is still commonly used by hand for both small touch-up areas as well as large areas. Sanding a surface by hand, as opposed to using a motor-driven sanding device, provides the user with complete control over the amount of pressure applied and the exact location to which the abrasive material is applied.
A variety of sanding blocks provide a handle in order to more easily grip the sandpaper. The most basic type of sanding block is essentially a block of wood or other hard material around which sandpaper can be wrapped, thus providing a handle for gripping the sandpaper while sanding a surface. Once the sandpaper has become worn in at least one area, the position of the sandpaper can be adjusted on the block in order to utilize other lesser-used areas of the sandpaper. Such sanding blocks are often more comfortable to use than sandpaper alone, but these blocks typically lack the flexibility needed to follow irregular, contoured, or narrow surfaces, which results in uneven pressure being applied to such surfaces and, consequently, uneven sanding.
Some sanding blocks are integral with the sandpaper, such as sponge-backed sanding blocks. These sponge-backed sanding blocks provide a handle and the sponge backing maintains sufficient flexibility to allow the sandpaper to follow the contours of the surface being sanded. One drawback of these sponge-backed sanding blocks is that the surfaces of abrasive material are prone to uneven wear. That is, the abrasive material may wear off on certain areas of the sanding block while other less-frequently-used areas of the sanding block remain intact. However, the less-frequently-used areas may experience less usage because their locations are impractical or uncomfortable for the user. Thus, the sponge-backed sanding block is typically discarded after only a fraction of the abrasive material has worn off.
There is a need or desire for an aggressive sanding device for use in removing dirt and contamination from a surface, particularly from a painted metal surface, and to smooth and/or flatten uneven, irregular surfaces. There is a further need or desire for a sanding device capable of applying even pressure along the surface being sanded. There is yet another need or desire for a sanding device that can be used repeatedly without uneven wear.